


moonlight sonata

by violetholdsme



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Best Friends, Bittersweet, Fake Marriage, Falling In Love, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Running Away, some characters are only mentioned in passing but they're there i promise, wooyuki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29538612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/violetholdsme/pseuds/violetholdsme
Summary: "I want to love you in the daylight as well, my darling.” He paused, a little unsure. “Just know that if you say the word, Yuto, I would go in a heartbeat.”Wooseok knew he never wanted to leave, just as he had told Yuto how much he wished he could stay until the sun shone on them both.“I love you, Wooseok.”“I am yours, my prince,” Wooseok breathed, the words immediately lost in Yuto’s lungs at their proximity. “I love you, too.”
Relationships: Adachi Yuto & Jung Wooseok & Kang Hyunggu | Kino, Adachi Yuto & Kang Hyunggu | Kino, Adachi Yuto/Jung Wooseok, Adachi Yuto/Kang Hyunggu | Kino, Other mentioned relationships
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22





	moonlight sonata

**Author's Note:**

> this is all the result of miss swift releasing love story (taylor's version), i hope you enjoy this mess of a royalty au :')
> 
> (also, a disclaimer: this is not beta read nor is it meant to be historically accurate at all, so i'm sorry if there's some inconsistencies in the language or worldbuilding, i will try to fix that when i can <3)

**i.**

“The stars came out to play tonight.”

A soft smile emerged on Wooseok’s face at his own musings, decorating the lips that were ever arranged in a slight, perpetual pout. The words dripped off his tongue slow and calm, reverberating in their relaxed pace. Time did not seem to move, and the stars seemed to play. The faint lights shone and twinkled in the black of the night sky, no longer veiled in clouds as spring shifted into summer, and warm air filled Yuto’s lungs as he shifted closer.

Wooseok had chosen quite a dangerous position to sit in; he was no less than _straddling_ the window pane, one leg settled on the cushion beside Yuto, the other left to dangle outside and brush against the vines on the castle wall. It was a gamble, but Wooseok insisted; he wanted to look out at the night sky. He could have fallen. The guards could have seen. Wooseok could have cared. (He did not.)

“It will be summer again, soon,” Yuto softly hummed.

“My favorite time of year,” was Wooseok’s simple response, low and quiet.

Yuto followed the rhythm of the world outside when he leaned in closer, basking in Wooseok’s presence. The view from the palace window, the stars and summer moonlight一they only painted the other man in a soft glow as he closed the distance between them gently. Yuto melted into his touch like he always did, pliant and off his guard, tasting the cherry wine in lover’s mouth and memorizing the piquant notes of the alcohol as they touched his own lips.

Wooseok looked down when they pulled away, interlocking their hands on his lap. Yuto took in the sight of their exposed wrists, smiling softly at how they fit together; Wooseok’s skin was almost milky in contrast to Yuto’s tan complexion, soft in a way that Yuto never expected them to be when they first met. Whenever Yuto saw him, Wooseok was almost always covered in paint, sleeves rolled up to his elbows while Yuto sat with his family on the other side of the canvas. It feels almost unreal to see the painter like this, hands and nails clear of any color or stray pigment, looking more like a painting than simply the pair of hands that could create one.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?” Yuto asked, whispered in a breath of air, too in awe for anything else.

“That would be you, Your Highness,” Wooseok gave him in return, brushing the pad of his thumb over the prince’s knuckles before leaning in to kiss him once more.

Yuto’s breath hitched when Wooseok’s thumb caught the ring on his finger, stones set in the silver band glinting under the moonlight. He brushed it off just as quickly as it had happened, eagerly kissing Wooseok back, careful not to push the other man any further out of the window than he already was.

“Wooseok,” Yuto breathed out between kisses, “move away from there. Kiss me properly.”

Wooseok gladly obliged, nimbly swinging his long leg back into the room and expertly taking Yuto into his arms. Neither one of them broke their hold on each other as Yuto pulled him onto the bed, letting the taller man get on top of him and kiss him senseless, make him dizzy with passion like he was way up in the sky despite just a humble glass of cherry wine shared between them from earlier in the evening. Wooseok’s lips were stained red with the liquid, and Yuto cannot think anything else except _beautiful, beautiful, beautiful._ It feels simultaneously like years and mere seconds that they’ve been together, seen each other like this. Yuto knows that it’s the former, but every single night always feels so welcoming, so _new._

“Wooseok.” Yuto’s breath starts to get shallow as Wooseok kisses down his neck and jaw, leaving light touches of hands and breath and lips behind his earlobe. It makes Yuto shudder, and part of him cannot let go of the feeling, does not want to. But he brings a hand up to his lover’s cheek at a moment’s notice, willing himself to slow down his own breathing as Wooseok’s kisses grew hungrier by the second. “Wooseok, stop.”

“Alright,” the painter exhaled, rendered obedient at the simple command, touches becoming softer along with his gaze. “Is everything alright? Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Yuto whispered, smiling as Wooseok moved to lay beside him, a pair of their hands still interlocked. “I’m just tired.”

“Tell me...” Wooseok fluttered his eyelashes at the furrow that began to appear on Yuto’s brow, before clarifying, “tell me about your day, darling.”

Yuto moved in closer at the pet name, eager to feel Wooseok’s breath on his skin. “I went out to ride, practice archery. The same old things. They have worn me out.”

“I wish I could be with you, when you do these... _things_ ,” Wooseok utters, running a hand through the length of Yuto’s black curls. “It would make a beautiful scene. They would like it, no?”

“Who? What do you mean?” 

“Your family would adore it,” Wooseok started, the glint of residual moonlight reflected in dark brown eyes. “A portrait of their beloved prince, glowing under the sun, bow and arrow raised to the sky. I would sit by a tree to watch you, imprint the sight on my mind before I do the same on the blank canvas, and then I shall wonder how lucky I must have been to have your likeness under my fingertips.”

Yuto felt his heart race at those very words, always so taken by the love-laced poems that so often dripped from his lover’s lips. They were beautiful as sin, much sweeter than the wine. “You have the _real_ me under your fingertips, Wooseok.”

“And still I find myself wanting more,” Wooseok paused, bringing their hands up to place a kiss on Yuto’s knuckles before adding, “my prince.”

They fell into silence at the action, a quiet but looming sense of understanding hanging in the wind. Yuto’s view of the other man was obscured by their hands lying between them, his own cradled in Wooseok’s, and the simple, silver band on his finger in full view. His white curtains were tinted blue with moonlight, swaying from the feather-light touch of warm air, and it was heavy, but still safe. Many things between them were unsure, but Yuto knows that when he and Wooseok are alone, they would keep each other safe.

“How long before you have to go?” Yuto asks, timid.

“Don’t fret, darling,” Wooseok supplies, squeezing his hand. “We have time. I will stay until you fall asleep, just like always.”

“And when will I see you again?” Yuto whispers.

“Whenever time permits. You know that.”

“But you will be coming to the palace, yes? When?”

“Tomorrow,” Wooseok said simply, bringing the prince closer to lean into his chest. “For Hyunggu.”

Yuto hummed, taking in a sharp breath at the mention of the name. _For Hyunggu._ “Painting lesson?”

“Yes,” Wooseok affirmed. “Later in the week as well, your mother一forgive me, _the Queen_ 一she wants a portrait done. You will see me then.”

“I will.”

Yuto understands the silent plight they had fallen into when they floated back into the quietness of the room. The things they had talked about were often matters that hung unacknowledged between them, hardly mattering when they were alone and lost in each other and only the sound of Wooseok’s heartbeat rang in Yuto’s ears. _Hyunggu._ The name brought about an itch that they had tried to ignore whenever circumstance allowed, an ache that threatened the ring on Yuto’s finger to age and tarnish and stain his knuckles dark green.

“Something is troubling you,” Yuto began, surprised by the steadiness in his own voice. “Tell me.”

Wooseok smiled softly at that, in rhythm with the movement of his palm on the other man’s cheek. “I only wish I understood more of this. Us. _You_.”

“In which sense?”

“Hyunggu.” Wooseok stuttered it out, unsure but desperate not to seem so. “He is… you know what he _is,_ to you.”

“I… yes,” Yuto trails off.

“He is a good person...” Wooseok starts, and Yuto can hear his heart picking up the pace through his chest. “He is not unkind, nor arrogant. Nor prideful, even一not an ounce. I… I simply do not wish to hurt him, Yuto.”

Yuto took in the declaration, burying his head further into his lover’s chest at the words. They were all true, and yet the prince willed himself not to succumb to the tears that prickled at his eyes. He held Wooseok’s hand tighter when he spoke again, trying to grasp more warmth into the cold metal resting on his finger.

“Wooseok… you know that we may stop this at any time if it is a burden on your conscience, yes?”

Wooseok pulls him closer, his hold reassuring in contrast to the scared look that Yuto knows is evident in his own features. The painter rubs circles onto his back, gentle and slow with those smooth and skilled hands of his, drawing mindless portraits onto his clothed skin to lull him back into safety.

“I trust you, darling,” Wooseok says, muffled into dark curls as Yuto nuzzled into the crook of his neck “I know you would not want to hurt him, either. There are simply some things I do not yet completely understand… but I will come to know them in time. Whenever you are ready to tell me.”

“Thank you.” Yuto latched onto him tighter, letting himself be enveloped in his lover’s embrace. Safe from the rest of the world, whenever they were allowed it.

“Of course, my prince,” Wooseok cooed, placing a kiss on his forehead as the man in his arms drifted off into sleep. “Sleep tight.”

Wooseok waited for Yuto to fall into peaceful slumber, before untangling their intertwined limbs and running off into the night, bidding the prince goodbye with a feather-light kiss on their wine-stained lips.

**ii.**

“Good morning.”

Yuto took in the sight before him, grinning sheepishly as he stood in the other man’s doorway. The greeting irked him in a way一foreboding but still gentle一and it only served to deepen the furrow in Yuto’s brow that had been there since he woke up in his own bedroom, puzzled at the appearance of a new cordial glass on his nightstand, filled to the brim with cherry wine.

“Good morning, Hyunggu.”

Yuto walked over to him then, gravitating towards the other man as usual. He brought a hand up to Hyunggu’s shoulder, feeling the soft silk of his blouse under his fingertips as he leaned in for a customary kiss on the cheek. The servants had gone to leave them alone, but they remained content in their light touches. It was comfortable一natural as it always was with them.

“Will you be doing anything interesting today?”

“Not particularly. I will see to my mother in the afternoon.”

“I will be there if I am needed.”

“Thank you,” Yuto punctuated the statement with the sincerest of smiles on his face, taking in the way Hyunggu’s expression mirrored his own. “She would like that.”

There were many advantages to being the family’s youngest prince一one of which Yuto had found with Hyunggu, taken advantage of when they married. His eldest brother was heir to the throne, and his other siblings had married into faraway kingdoms for the sake of rank and alliance. Yuto’s duty was一if one would allow it to be called in such a way一truly more to his _family_ than to the kingdom. He took care of his parents as they aged, brought life into the palace as it dulled, and filled the atmosphere with his innocent spirit. He was beloved by his parents and the people, uncharacteristically kind amongst the rest of the royals.

It also meant that when it came to marriage, Yuto had a much freer choice than his brothers and sister. Still, no one would have expected his selection一it pulls a bittersweet smile on his lips every time it crosses his mind. Hyunggu’s skin was bathed in sunlight as he moved around the room, the silk of his blouse hanging off his shoulders with every movement. Yuto was allowed to marry for _love_ , if he so pleased一and yet the reminder was somehow wistful as he watched his husband in the full light of day, a ring around his finger, glinting in the sunlight to match Yuto’s own.

Yuto does not quite know what love is, yet. But when he decided to marry Hyunggu, he supposed that perhaps _that_ was the closest thing.

“I sent up some of that cherry wine you like so much.” Hyunggu uttered it with confidence as he stood in front of Yuto, raising his wrist up for the other man to help him with his sleeves. Yuto responded as he did just that, a million thoughts running through his head as the atmosphere shifted.

“You don’t have to, my dear.”

“I never knew you to like wine, Yu,” Hyunggu said, raising up his other hand when Yuto was done with the first. “But you seem to have a glass of it every evening, lately.”

“Tastes change,” Yuto said timidly, keeping his eyes locked on the cuff of Hyunggu’s sleeve, trying desperately to hide the blood rushing to his cheeks. “Will you be painting today, angel?”

“I will.” Hyunggu tilted his head to the side as his husband continued to fiddle with his cuff sleeves. “You should join us; Wooseok likes cherry wine. We can all have a glass.”

Yuto gulped a little bit at the suggestion, still refusing to look at the other man. There was something about Hyunggu’s aura, the familiar but intimidating glint in the eyes of his best-friend-turned-husband-turned-prince. Hyunggu was by no means cruel; he looked at Yuto with concern, with more generosity than suspicion. He never liked to bait or taunt. Always to the point, wearing his heart on his sleeve, his best intentions on full display.

“You know that I care for you, yes?”

Yuto nodded, forcing himself to look into the other’s eyes. “As do I.”

“You have never been my enemy,” Hyunggu says, grabbing hold of Yuto’s hand and squeezing tightly. “And I am not yours. So I hope we can be honest with each other.”

A battle arose then: between the pounding in Yuto’s chest, and Hyunggu’s genuine smile that ventured to quell it. There was no threat whatsoever in the other prince’s voice, but Yuto couldn’t help but feel the tension crawling on his skin一and Hyunggu’s soft touch was not quite enough to bring it to a halt.

“Yes, angel,” Yuto responded simply, still holding their hands up between them. “I am grateful for you.”

Hyunggu let go of him at that, adjusting the blouse on his torso before propping himself up with a hand on Yuto’s shoulder, tiptoeing slightly to place a light kiss on his cheek. Yuto let himself smile at the action, turning around when Hyunggu made way for his exit.

“I shall see you in the afternoon,” he said, bidding Yuto goodbye with a slight bow. Yuto reciprocated the action, still slightly dumbfounded at the exchange, before Hyunggu turned on his heel to make his way to wherever it was he had to go, leaving Yuto standing alone in Hyunggu’s bedroom to release the breath that was caught in his throat.

Later in the morning, Yuto watched from afar but did not join them, just as he said he would not. Wooseok guided Hyunggu through painting various types of scenery in the palace garden, leaning over him dutifully, both of them oblivious to the lingering eyes from an inconspicuous palace window. Yuto simply inhaled sharply as the two sipped from glasses of cherry wine, the memory of the night before tingling insistently on the back of his tongue.

**iii.**

“He knows.”

The next evening that Yuto and Wooseok can be alone with each other is some couple weeks since the last. Yuto revels in Wooseok’s familiar figure in the moonlight, cheeks flushed with summer warmth, breathing slowly as they lay side by side on the prince’s spacious bed.

“ _Who_ knows _what_ , darling?”

“Hyunggu,” Yuto begins shakily. “I have an inkling that he knows about… _this_. About us.”

Wooseok falls into silence, but he doesn’t budge as they lay face to face. He only brings his hand up to his lover’s cheek, cradling him as he considered his next words, trying not to add on to the clear worry in Yuto’s eyes.

“Is he angry with you? Or with me?”

“I don’t think so,” Yuto replies, quiet. Unsure. “The prince is slow to anger一you know this. He only said he wished me to be… to be _honest_.”

“I don’t understand.” Wooseok paused to take in the words once more, growing careful, and much more gentle with every word uttered between them. “Forgive me, my darling. I don’t understand.”

“What do you wish to know?” Yuto questioned, taking a deep breath before looking up at his lover and adding quietly, “If it will ease your mind, Wooseok… let me help you understand.”

Wooseok had _millions_ of questions whirling around in his head. The prince was beside him, lying comfortably in his arms一he toed the line in Wooseok’s mind between a dream and a stranger, between truth and fantasy. Everything about Yuto was a mystery, except for the fact that Wooseok knew he _loved_ him, much longer than both of them could even recall. It was enough for them to love behind closed doors most nights, but Wooseok cannot deny that there are voices in his head that tug at his curiosities, an insatiable longing to _want_ Yuto without apprehension, to have more of him一 _all_ of him. And the clearest barrier to that stared Wooseok right in the face on the sunniest of mornings in the palace garden, so it is the question of this that Wooseok lets roll off his tongue, careful and sweet so as not to shake the safety that Yuto had found in his hold.

“You know that I trust you,” Wooseok started, careful. “But I cannot help to wonder about the prince.” Wooseok cleared his throat, clarifying in a split second, “ _Hyunggu_.”

“Yes.”

“You are married to him.”

“Yes.”

“But…” Wooseok trailed off, tilting Yuto’s chin up to look into his eyes. “You are not on bad terms with each other. You are a good husband to him, and there is affection between the two of you. You did not have to marry at all, and yet you _chose_ to marry _him_. And yet… yet, you let me hold you like this in the darkness. We keep these secrets behind his back. The chamber maids are not wholly convinced of your devotion to each other, and you do not even sleep in the same chambers.”

“We do not sleep in the same bed because一” Yuto cut himself off, realizing the defensiveness in his swift reply. He took a shaky breath, looking worriedly at Wooseok with quivering lips. “It is because I don’t want him to _touch_ me.”

“To… touch you?”

“The way spouses touch each other,” Yuto said, breaking their locked gazes. “I don’t want it.”

“He would not force you, if you did not want it,” Wooseok reassured, rubbing circles into Yuto’s back as he hid himself in Wooseok’s chest. “You know him to be kind. We both do.” 

“I don’t want it with _anyone_ , Wooseok,” Yuto spoke timidly into his chest. “It’s not just him.”

Wooseok lets his jaw drop, but only for a split second before he feels the prince shaking in his arms, breaths getting more shallow the more he tried to hide in the other man’s chest. Wooseok urged him to break away, to look up at him before he spoke gently. “I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t know.”

“Nobody knows,” Yuto responded timidly. “It’s alright.”

“I apologize if I’ve made you uncomfortable in the past.”

“You haven’t,” Yuto stated cleanly, the surest thing he had uttered all evening. “You have been good to me. Very much so.”

Wooseok pressed a chaste kiss on Yuto’s lips, keeping safer than he ever had as the prince laid himself bare, let himself fall into vulnerability more than he ever had before. They tried to find their peace in the silence, floating together up in nowhere as always. But the unanswered questions still hung in between them, tethering them to the ground, making themselves more known as Yuto’s breaths evened out to the rhythm of Wooseok’s light strokes on his back. Wooseok began to speak again, still soft as ever, trailing off mindlessly as more questions played in his thoughts. 

“Yuto, I still don’t…”

Wooseok closed his eyes, a labored exhale escaping his lips as he trailed off, the painter hoping that his lover would speak for him what he could not discern for himself, answer for him all the questions that he simply did not know how to ask.

“You want to know why I married Hyunggu, yes?”

Wooseok nodded, considering his next words carefully. As close as he was to Yuto, Wooseok was still a _civilian_ 一and they were discussing a _prince_. “He is not of noble blood, nor does he have a title, so I do not suppose he was _betrothed_ to you… But you are married to him一does that not mean that you love him? Or that you _did,_ in the past?”

Yuto pulled away from him after that, gently untangling their limbs to sit up against the wooden frame of the bed. Wooseok followed after him, his gaze pulled directly to Yuto’s hands as he absently played with the ring on his finger. The sight left a pang in Wooseok’s chest that made him wonder why he had never felt it before; he silently watched his lover, ready to listen as Yuto stared straight ahead, beginning to speak in his low tone.

“I do not love him. Or perhaps I am not sure… I do not really know what _love_ is. I do not quite know if it was love.”

Wooseok hummed, urging him to go on. “Tell me, darling.”

Yuto smiled at him without looking, the tension in his body easing a little at Wooseok’s favorite term of endearment, still as sweet as ever albeit arguably overused. It made it easier to breathe, to continue along and bear his heart, knowing that Wooseok was intent on listening to him, being with him, truly _knowing_ him.

“Hyunggu is my best friend,” Yuto began, doing his best to continue from where he started. “My mother wanted me to learn the harp when I was young. She wanted me to learn many things, really一this was just another one of them. I was bad at it, like I was at most things I was supposed to be good at. But the lessons were always interesting; they were the reason I met Hyunggu.

“We were only children, then. His father was my teacher, and he would bring Hyunggu along with him to the palace while he taught me to play. Hyunggu tried to learn, too, and we got along well. He was so much better than me一he still is. Anyone could tell that I gave up on the harp not even two sessions in, but I told my mother otherwise, because Hyunggu was there. He was my friend. We would talk, and sometimes we would play. Eventually, he started coming to the palace to teach me alone, but we would really just go outside to play, or stay in the gardens to talk. My mother knew of it, I believe, but she did not try to stop us. Hyunggu was always welcome at the palace since then. We shared everything with each other, grew up together like I wasn’t a prince living in the royal palace. Like we were not so different.

“One day, he came to the palace, and I remember so clearly that I had never seen him look as he did, then. His eyes were sunken and he didn’t dare smile. It was foreign to me. There was a voice in my head telling me that I wanted to hurt whoever made him this way, to make sure that expression never existed on his face again. When he told me the reason why _一that_ was when I decided, I think. To marry him.

“His parents were going to marry him off, he said. Some marquess from another kingdom had seen him at the palace and taken interest. And I remember thinking then, how much I failed to see how different we were in the eyes of the world. Hyunggu always tried not to make it glare out so obviously, when we were together, but it was the reality of life. And it was _unfair_ ; I despised it with all my being.

“He wanted more out of life. He wanted to continue learning the harp. He wanted to create so many things一he wanted to write, and play the piano, and paint, and dance _一god_ , he wanted so badly to dance. And so I told him that I wanted him to do all of that, too, because he _could_. I knew that he could, and he was _going to_. And his parents were going to damn a marquess to hell if Hyunggu could marry a prince.” Yuto breathed out, digging his heels into his eyes after realizing all that he had said. He willed himself to breathe steadily one last time, before concluding, “And so, I asked my best friend一if he wanted instead to _marry a prince_.”

Yuto could feel the weight of Wooseok’s eyes on him, growing more and more restless the longer the other man did not reach out. When Wooseok didn’t speak, Yuto battled with the lump in his throat and the tears stinging his eyes, if only to make way for one last remark.

“I do not love him, Wooseok,” he said, his voice a higher tone than usual. “I married him to give him his freedom. I only wanted to set him free.”

Wooseok finally wrapped an arm around him at the utterance, pulling Yuto into his embrace as the prince released muffled sobs into the fabric of his white shirt. Wooseok rubbed his back with practiced hands, his soft shushing obscured into Yuto’s black curls, soothing him as he let him cry into his chest.

“That does not sound very _unloving_ to me, Yuto,” Wooseok said simply, in between littered kisses on the top of the other’s head. “It was an act of love. I understand, now.”

“But it is not _this,_ ” Yuto suddenly spoke up, locking his glassy eyes with Wooseok’s above him. “I wished silently that it could be enough一I truly did. But it is not. It’s not enough. Because it’s not _you_.”

Wooseok went stiff at the declaration, but it was gone just as quickly as it came over him; he felt a tear slip down his cheek, getting lost under Yuto’s thumb when he swiped it away from under his eye. Their gazes gravitated toward the other, faces tear-stained and flushed as they closed the distance between their lips. Their hands wandered experimentally, wanting to hold as much of the other as they could, and Yuto felt his heart race in a way he had never known. The contents of his soul were here now一spilled out into the open一and even Yuto felt like he was looking at himself with new eyes, like someone he had never seen before. He wonders if maybe he was seeing himself the way Wooseok always had一because if anyone knew the truths he tried to hide even from himself, it would be him. No matter what, Yuto _knew_ it would be him.

“I love you,” Yuto whispered in a breath of air, quiet against Wooseok’s mouth before kissing him again. “I love you, Wooseok.”

“I love you, too, darling,” Wooseok said instantly, giving Yuto one last chaste kiss before pulling away.

Yuto tries not to mourn the loss as Wooseok grounds himself, hands on both of Yuto’s shoulders as they catch their breaths. Wooseok moves closer to him, inching forward enough to press their foreheads together, eyes closed and listening to each other’s heartbeats.

“Yuto,” he utters, still breathless. “Do you ever think of running away from here?”

It startles him, but Wooseok’s hold is firm and grounding. Yuto shakes his head, confused but not dismissive. “I don’t know, Wooseok. It is frightening.”

“I know,” Wooseok responds, running his fingers down the sides of his lover’s face. “You are a prince. You live comfortably here. You care for Hyunggu. But I want to love you in the daylight as well, my darling.” He paused, a little unsure, before settling with, “just know that if you say the word, Yuto, I would go in a heartbeat.”

Yuto simply brought his hands around Wooseok’s neck, settling into his lap as he leaned into him once more. Wooseok let Yuto kiss him, soft and sweet, adjusting perfectly whenever Yuto deepened the touches of their lips. There was no cherry wine tonight, but the feeling was almost beyond dizzying; Wooseok knew he never wanted to leave, just as he had told Yuto how he wished he could stay until the sun shone on them both. For now, he simply kissed him reverently, fitting into him like a beautiful, mismatched puzzle piece, memorizing the colors in the back of his mind like a painting he would create and never want to finish.

“I love you, Wooseok.”

“I am yours, Yuto,” Wooseok breathed, the words immediately lost in Yuto’s lungs at their proximity. “I love you, too.”

**iv.**

Yuto stared absently at himself in the mirror of his dressing table, uninterested eyes locked on the adornments all around his shoulders. Yuto shifted slightly as his servant adjusted them for him, looking at the prince through the mirror with an indecipherable expression on his face.

“Is everything alright, Your Highness?”

Yuto was startled out of his thoughts at being addressed, coughing quietly before uttering a simple response. “Yes. Thank you.”

The royal family was to entertain guests for dinner, tonight一dukes and lords from places that Yuto can barely remember the names of. He was only expected to be _present_ , as always, with his husband by his side. His brother did the talking, and the King and Queen handled the pleasantries. When it came to matters like these, Yuto did not really mind acting as a simple decoration, and he knew that neither did Hyunggu. It was a small price to pay, a momentary blip in their routine that always passed by quickly enough to return to their normal bidding. Although, Hyunggu was excellent at keeping the guests entertained nonetheless; he was courteous and well-mannered, whether or not their often snobbish guests chose to treat him kindly after learning of his humble origins. Yuto often thinks that Hyunggu fit into his role as a prince much better than he did.

“Your Highness,” his servant began, a neutral pout on his lips exaggerating squirrely cheeks. “You are deep in thought, tonight.”

“I’m sorry.” Yuto snapped out of his daydreams again, looking up to see the box of cufflinks being held up in front of him. He nodded as he picked out a random pair, trying to keep his body and mind in the same place. 

“You need not apologize to me,” the other man said curtly, before uttering something much more quiet and careful. “Are you thinking about…”

“About _what_?” Yuto supplied, nervous as his servant trailed off.

“About一” he took a deep breath, “一about how you will _spend your evenings_ , my prince?”

Yuto could not stifle the sharp breath that entered his lungs at the glaring implications of the statement, looking at the other man through the mirror, locking their gazes fiercely.

“Jinho一”

“I do not judge you, Your Highness. I hope you can put enough faith in me to know that.”

“I一” Yuto starts, lost for words. “How一 _What_ do you know?”

“I know enough… you are not always subtle.”

“Jinho, you cannot…” he cut himself off, opting instead to ask, timidly, “...are you disappointed in me?”

Jinho placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder as Yuto began to tremble, keeping his eyes on the prince in the mirror, who was beginning to bury his head in his hands. “I have known you since you were a boy, Yuto. I understand the nature of your marriage, too.”

“But you do not believe that it is right, do you?” Yuto asked, head hung. “You… would you inform on this to the prince? Or to your own husband?”

Jinho laughed lightly at the mention, placing a steady hand on the prince’s cheek from behind. “My loyalty lies with _you_ , my prince. Just as my husband’s loyalty lies with Hyunggu.”

“Hongseok was not very kind to Hyunggu when he began living at the palace,” Yuto mused, feeling instantly lighter at the sight of the smile on Jinho’s face. 

The older man always brought him a sense of calm, reassurance; it was true that he had known Yuto since he was a boy, had taken care of him in more ways than one. They trusted each other; they were _friends_ more than just a prince and his servant. Jinho was the closest thing to a confidant that Yuto had, next to Hyunggu; he carried wisdom in the places that the younger boy could not. The same was true, up to now, especially when Yuto knew that _Hyunggu_ was among the roots of the problem itself.

“Believe it or not, my prince, even Hongseok can achieve growth.” They both chuckled softly at the teasing, Yuto taking in the subtle sparkle in Jinho’s eyes at the mention of his own husband. Hongseok. Hyunggu’s servant.

“Still…” Yuto began, “You are married. I should believe that first and foremost, your loyalties would lie with each other.”

“They do, Your Highness,” Jinho hummed, “but there is a limit to what we share. I would not have him know of this一it is not my place.”

“You are entitled to what you feel… and so is he.”

“Something is burdening your mind, Yuto. I can sense it much more, as of late,” Jinho said, suddenly stern. “You know that I find it unnecessary to beat around the bush, and if there is something you want to tell me, or ask of me, I would assure you that I shall keep your confidence with my dying breath.”

Yuto went stiff, just nodding dumbly at the sudden declaration. Jinho was always a sensible man一honest and direct when Yuto’s mind began to wander into nonsense. He willed himself to look at him through the mirror again, feeling so much smaller as Jinho loomed from behind him. Yuto gulped nervously, testing a bitter question on the tip of his tongue.

“Jinho… is Hyunggu unhappy?”

The older man seemed to be caught off guard, setting down the box of jewelry he had just picked up before responding without a furrow in his brow. “I don’t think Hyunggu would want you to doubt his happiness here for even a second, Your Highness.”

“That is _Hyunggu,_ ” Yuto reiterated. “He does not complain. He is much too kind for his own good, but Jinho一if he is troubled in any way, it is my responsibility to know. I would _want_ to know.”

“May I speak freely, my prince?”

Jinho abandoned all the adornments in front of them, favoring to pull out a wooden stool beside the younger man. Yuto eyed him carefully as he moved, nodding in affirmation when Jinho took a seat and looked up at him, his friend’s eyes filled with concern. “Of course, Jinho. You may.”

“Tears have been shed, Your Highness. But it is not for any of the reasons you might think.”

Yuto gaped at him silently, his heart dropping at that image of Hyunggu一troubled, hurt, _in tears_. What was more regretful was the fact that Hyunggu had sought to conceal it from Yuto for as long as he had一and perhaps, finally, Yuto was starting to learn that he was not the only one with secrets of his own to keep. He nodded sullenly, keeping silent as Jinho continued. 

“My prince _一Yuto_. I know that you know your husband. _Both_ of you know each other, and there is _love_ between you, although it is a kind of affection that is difficult to find elsewhere. I must have you recall that Hyunggu is by no means _fragile_ 一nor is he selfish. If you wish to concern yourself, Yuto… be assured that _Hyunggu_ will be fine,” Jinho declared assuredly. “In my eyes一and I say this lovingly, Your Highness一if you have a duty to _anyone’s_ unhappiness... it should much sooner be your own.”

Silence fell over them for what felt like long, poison-laced hours, the tension thickening in the air with every new realization that was creeping its way into Yuto’s mind. Jinho looked over to him with a sympathetic smile, a steadying hand on Yuto’s shoulder as he stood back up behind him, urging him to do the same. To fight the battle ahead of him for now, and tend to his wounds in the darkness away from prying eyes.

“Keep your head up, Your Highness. You are a noble prince of this Kingdom.”

“Forgive me, Jinho. It begins to sound more and more false as the days go by.”

“This is what you _are_ , Yuto,” Jinho said as he opened the door for him. Then, in the most silent, and yet the truest of whispers, “But I will forever remain in your favor, even when time finally comes for you to choose what you will _become_.”

Jinho sent him off with a smile, lost in a split second to a wordless bow as Yuto walked past him. 

The prince stopped only as he reached the end of the hall, his thoughts willing themselves to melt away at the sight of Hyunggu waiting for him. Yuto offered him his arm, the two princes linked together as fast as they had practiced over the years, smiles of admiration and respect ever-present on their lips.

“Have you been well, lately?” Yuto asked shyly, sheepish as they walked to the drawing room, towards their nightly lion’s den of royal guests.

“I have,” Hyunggu replied, a tad stunned at the question, but adjusting quickly. “Yes, Yu. I’ve been well.”

“I’m glad,” was all that Yuto said, with a soft smile and a gentle squeeze on his hand. It was all he needed for now. Hyunggu was strong, after all; he always was. “Are you ready for tonight, Hyunggu?”

Hyunggu smiled brightly as they stood in front of the doors, both a confident sparkle and a glint of mischief in his eye. His voice was steady when he replied. “Ready as ever, my prince.”

And _yes_ , Yuto affirms, as the doors open for them both一Jinho had been correct in telling him that Hyunggu was strong. He was, with no doubt, the stronger one of them both. And when Yuto looks back at the intertwinings of their two lives, the will of their hearts and the convictions in their minds, it is more than crystal clear that Hyunggu _always_ had been. Yuto was foolish not to have seen it sooner.

**v.**

Moonlight cradled them both once more as they drowned in each other, the prince and the painter under the cover of night and the scent of cherry wine. Yuto kissed and held onto Wooseok earnestly, while the taller man remained gentle in his touches, practiced and careful unlike what they were used to. 

Yuto cannot help the wave of frantic desperation that comes over him with every touch. It had been some nights since his conversation with Jinho, and many more than he dared to count since he had last seen Wooseok. The aching distance and time between them did nothing to ease the questions in Yuto’s mind, whose glaring brightness had become blinding since Jinho showed him their light. Too many things were suspended unsatisfyingly in mid-air, nagging at Yuto’s mind with barely anything to stifle them into silence. _What should you want to become? Will you be a loyal prince of this kingdom? Will you finally become a true husband?_

 _Will you let yourself be swept away by Wooseok? Will you love Wooseok_ 一could _you love Wooseok? Will you be satisfied in the end to have nothing, except Wooseok?_

 _Wooseok, Wooseok, Wooseok_ 一

“Wooseok.”

“Darling,” Wooseok responded, suddenly pulling away.

“Wooseok一” Yuto uttered, uncaring of the frustration in his tone that brought worry into his lover’s eyes. “Something is wrong. Have I done something wrong?”

“Not at all,” Wooseok shook his head abruptly, concern setting into every movement he was beginning to make. Yet, somehow, despite the familiar warmth of his skin, the gentle touches only served to make Yuto’s thoughts spiral even further, his pleas descending into something almost hopeless, almost _broken_.

“You don’t hold me like you used to,” Yuto pleaded. “Something has changed, Wooseok, you don’t hold me like you used to. Why do you shy away? Am I no longer desirable? Have I become displeasing?”

“ _No._ No, my darling, do not ever say that,” Wooseok assured, trying to get Yuto to look into his eyes. “I only一” 

Wooseok cut himself off to take a breath, steadying his own beating heart before continuing, trying to calm Yuto along with him.

“I only want to be _careful_ , ever since you told me… Yuto, I only want to ensure that you will not be hurt, or disgraced. Forgive me...”

“There are things I would not have you do,” Yuto said quietly, unable to stop himself from melting into the soothing care in Wooseok’s voice. He snaked his arms around the other man’s neck, pressing their foreheads together to share his warmth. “But I still want you to _want_ me, Wooseok.”

“I do,” Wooseok said, breathless all over again. “I want you.”

“Then show me.”

Just as the words left Yuto’s mouth, Wooseok swallowed them up in a breath of his own, kissing Yuto roughly. It spurred on such heat after the meekness of their previous touches, and Yuto wondered if his lover could taste the huskiness in his voice, or the dragged out sweetness of the sighs he let out into Wooseok’s mouth. Yuto let the pleasure course through him at Wooseok’s attention, letting out a soft moan as Wooseok began to trail open-mouthed kisses down the juncture of his neck and jaw. Wooseok seemed to hesitate a little at the noise, deciding to look up at Yuto before continuing.

“Are you comfortable, darling?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Yuto breathed out, even more dazed at seeing the way Wooseok’s pupils had grown in size, his lover’s chest heaving almost as much as his own. “Keep going, my love.”

Wooseok didn’t need to be told twice, his lips immediately reaching Yuto’s neck once more as he heard the words. _My love_. Yuto didn’t need even a second to realize that he had never once before called Wooseok by anything other than his name, and the echo in his voice reverberated, ringing in his ears and punctuating the pleasure of Wooseok’s lips. Yuto whimpered when he felt Wooseok bite down gently, sucking a mark on his skin that sent waves of warmth down his spine. He pulled Wooseok back up so they were face to face, feeling safer than he ever had underneath him, simply kissing softly into his mouth.

“Wooseok,” Yuto uttered between kisses, trying to steady his quivering lips. “That’s enough.”

“Alright,” Wooseok uttered, not missing a single beat. His touches shifted back into gentleness, running a hand softly through Yuto’s hair as they caught their breaths. “Are you alright? Was it too much?”

Yuto shook his head, letting himself fall into Wooseok’s gaze. “It was perfect. Thank you for… for stopping,” he uttered, eyes suddenly downcast. “I一 I know you want _more_.”

Wooseok pulled him into his embrace the moment he heard those words, leaving no space between them, and no room for argument at his next words. “ _Yuto_. I hope you know that I will take all that you give me, and love it fully.” 

Wooseok pressed a kiss to the crown of his head, muttering again into the bed of his curls, continuing now with more conviction. 

“There is no reason for me to want _more_ , my darling. You have already given me all that I could ask for一and that is simply to love you. It will always, _always_ be a marvel to me that you have given me the grace of your love back, because loving you has brought me more joy than anything else in this world. And I would be happy to do it forever一in _any_ way that you will let me. I promise, Yuto. I will.”

Yuto kissed him deeply upon hearing those words, the weight of them crashing down around them in the most glorious of ways. Yuto remembers what Jinho told him, recalls the questions in his own mind that replaced the wrong ones he had been asking for far too long. The answers had always lain within him, and yet only now had he the courage to coax them out, spilling truth into the nighttime when it only ever knew of deceit or denial. Or, perhaps, both. When Yuto thinks of _becoming_ something, he resigns himself to the fact that perhaps there is no more room to become一at least, not where he is now. He is not Hyunggu. He does not have the dutifulness of his royal brothers nor the strength of his wedded prince. No; Yuto agrees with the man beneath his lips. He wants _love_. Now that he understands, finally, what it _is_ 一Yuto only wants love.

“Will you take me away, Wooseok?”

Yuto said it softly, whispered the question so quietly that the words were lost to even himself the moment they left his lips. But Wooseok held each syllable with care, tasting the words between his lips, eyeing Yuto quizzically as he took in the weight of everything that was shared between them.

“There is no need to rush,” Wooseok responded. “You must think, you have to consider一”

“I have _thought_ and _considered_ for many nights.” The breeze brushed calmly past them through the open window, accompanying the light melody of Yuto’s voice. “This is all I want, believe me. I want to love you in the daylight, as well. I want to know all of you. I do. I love you. _I love you_.”

Yuto buried himself into Wooseok’s shoulder, stifling himself before he began repeating the phrase like a mantra. _I love you, I love you, I love you._ Wooseok only held him close, a chorus of _alright, yes, my darling,_ as he rubbed his back. Right now, they were only the two of them together, no titles or duties between them except their love, and Yuto would not have it any other way. 

He had stood still for so long, without realizing that _too much_ would never be quite enough. Now, Yuto knew that the only way he could step forward一to just stop _being_ and finally _become_ 一would be to run.

And he had waited long enough. It was his turn to be saved.

**vi.**

Yuto was getting antsy as the minutes passed by, the evening summer breeze crawling on his skin as he sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for any signal to arrive.

The past few months before tonight had been a series of frenzied preparation; he and Wooseok settling for fleeting moments in the nighttime, stolen glances in hallways in the day. It had all led up to this one night一the time in which Yuto would finally risk it all to be free of the chains around his feet, however loose they may have been. He looks around at his room, various belongings gone from their usual place, not glaring enough for anyone to notice. Some clothes and trinkets, nothing of too much value一taken one by one over the course of many patient weeks, to be gone from the palace with him.

The road to his decision was not an easy one. Despite the sureness in his tone on that one night, Yuto does not deny that fierce battles had gone on in his head in regards to the endeavor at hand. He could not simply decide, right then and there, to venture to leave behind his kingdom一his family, his husband, his _home_. It took a multitude of hours, too many moments of being utterly checked out from reality, to settle on his choice.

Yes, it was reckless. It is, by all means, perhaps foolish. But Yuto loved Wooseok, reckless and foolish as it was.

And he would follow him to the end, if it would have to be the only thing he had left.

Yuto tried not to show his worry in the months leading up to their supposed departure. Wooseok needed a few months to prepare; he already had the schedules of the palace guards ingrained into his head from all the evenings he snuck into the prince’s bedroom, but other arrangements needed to be made and some favors had to be called in. Yuto trusted him all the while with their safety and refuge, and he dealt with his own loose ends at the palace. Yuto took care of what he could for his family, just as Wooseok had done with his.

Hyunggu was Yuto’s first priority. When he was gone, Yuto’s fortune would go to his husband regardless, but he left behind some letters of will, anyway, in case of any power-hungry purebred royals who might have wanted to challenge their non-royal-blooded prince. Hyunggu was strong enough to take care of himself, but Yuto knew his absence would be a substantial layer of protection taken away from him. So, he had done everything in his power to make sure Hyunggu would be taken care of, and thanked whatever gods might have existed that his mother一the _Queen_ 一was almost as fond of the other man as Yuto was.

He had not prepared too much to take, nor too much to leave behind一Wooseok warned him of the risks it brought, the danger of them being found. What fortune Yuto did not give to Hyunggu, he had left substantial amounts of for Jinho, and then for the rest of his chamber maids. As for his family and other relations, Yuto felt it best to leave everything at the mercy of time; they could look for him, or simply assume that he was gone. They could banish or forgive him; Yuto assumed an equal possibility of either. Whatever happened, Yuto knew where his heart was. He had done what he could, and did his very best to believe that he deserved to follow the ache he had ignored for so long.

“Wooseok, _where are you…_ ”

Yuto muttered to himself as he fisted the sheets in his hand. His knee was bouncing as he sat on the edge of his bed, feeling the heat of bunched up fabric in his fist. He had been waiting for Wooseok to arrive for him when he said he would, and doubts were beginning to seep their way into Yuto’s mind. He wonders if Wooseok had encountered a problem, if he had somehow been _caught_. He wonders if maybe Wooseok did not want to go through with it after all, leaving Yuto just another hopeless fool. It had only been a few minutes since the time they had agreed upon, but Yuto has to will himself to remain calm and summon all of the trust he had in him. Because Wooseok loved him一Yuto reminds himself of this一he knows that Wooseok had tried tirelessly to move mountains for them both. Miniscule setbacks would not stop them from taking their chance to defy the world. No matter the mess they were lost in, they would have each other.

“ _Yuto_!”

Yuto snapped his head towards the direction of Wooseok’s whispered but frantic voice, standing up to meet him as he climbed nimbly into the room through the window. Yuto helped him through with a puzzled expression on his face, confused at Wooseok’s shallow breaths and rushed movements. “Wooseok? Is everything alright? Are you hurt?”

“Not hurt,” Wooseok replied. “But we were delayed. We cannot go out through the window anymore, the guards have renewed their posts. We will have to sneak through the halls and down through the stone stairwell, and then the gardens. Can you do that for me, darling?”

Yuto nodded frantically, processing everything that Wooseok had rushed to say. The other man had instructed him to wear something light tonight, despite the autumn chill making its way into the air of late summer, and Yuto hoped it would be enough to hide them under the cover of darkness. He simply followed when Wooseok led him to the door, surprised to find the guards stationed outside his bedroom gone. 

They ran with light footsteps through the halls of the palace, hand in hand so they would not lose each other along the way. Wooseok made Yuto memorize the place over the last few months, and it came in handy as Yuto let his feet take him towards the aforementioned stone staircase. It was a narrow passageway on the east turret, musty and damp from years of being unused.

When they reached the passageway, Yuto felt the floor slip from underneath him at the first step. The stone was covered in moss, slippery and hazardous for anyone who might pass. Wooseok caught him expertly, but not before he let out a surprised yelp, covering his mouth immediately after he heard himself make the noise.

“I’m sorry一”

“It’s okay, darling, but we have to move a little faster, now, alright?” Wooseok asked, trying to keep them both level-headed despite the suspense bubbling up in their chests. “Someone could have heard us, so we must move quick, but be careful. Hold my hand, yes?”

“Yes,” Yuto obliged, taking hold of Wooseok’s hand, moving swiftly but carefully down the stairs and minding his every step. It was winding and dizzying, with only enough room for them to walk with one in front of the other, and Yuto is starting to feel suffocated as he walks down mindlessly without knowing when they’ll reach the end.

Eventually, they see the end in sight, a wooden door leading out towards the palace’s eastern garden. They breathe out sighs of relief, but not before hearing the echo of the door at the other end of the passage being opened, followed by the taunting sound of footsteps. Yuto looks to Wooseok with worry, but the taller man simply leads them both to their exit, pushing past the door into the open air of the garden. He talked Yuto through it as they walked briskly, trying not to ruffle too many leaves under their feet.

“Darling, we just need to get over the wall, then through the woods, then we’ll be safe. I promise you一”

Wooseok was cut off by the sight before them, which caused the pair to look up in shock. The air suddenly felt suffocating again when they were stopped in their tracks, all their efforts seemingly boiled down to nothing when Yuto stared the other man in the face.

Hyunggu.

He was standing with his mouth agape, a blanket around his shoulders and some flowers in his hair, his skin glowing around his lithe frame as he stood still under the moonlight.

“Hyunggu一 please, I can一 I一”

“Go,” was all the other prince said, a soft smile on his lips and with conviction in his tone, starkly contrasting the worry in his eyes. “It’s okay, Yuto.”

“But一”

“But _nothing_ ,” Hyunggu supplied, stealing a glance and a smile at Wooseok as he did. “Are you being pursued? I will hold them off for you.”

“We cannot一”

“Yuto, _go_.” Hyunggu said, smiling up at him with the sincerity they always shared, and time seemed to stop when Yuto realized that this was, quite possibly, the last time he would see his best friend. “Go and be happy, Yu. I want you to.”

“I’m sorry,” Yuto said, very much on the verge of tears, willing his feet to move from where they suddenly had become rooted in place. “I am sorry for betraying you, my dear.”

“There is no betrayal in this,” Hyunggu shook his head fiercely, looking over Yuto’s shoulder to see if their pursuers had caught up to them. “You have given me more than anyone should ever ask for, and I do not want一”

“Yuto,” Wooseok interrupted unceremoniously, “we have to go _now_.”

Yuto looked back and forth between the two of them, nodding when he decided to walk towards Wooseok. Before he could go, Hyunggu quickly grabbed him by the wrist, placing something in his palm and closing Yuto’s hand over it, before releasing him with the brightest of smiles on his face. Yuto willed himself to ingrain the sight in his mind before he turned back, letting a tear slip from his eye when he heard Hyunggu utter the last words they would share between them.

“You will always have me, Yuto.”

Then Yuto ran with Wooseok, climbing over the castle wall without looking back.

Yuto could hear the sound of the guards’ footsteps in the garden, his chest heaving at the thought of having narrowly escaped them. Hyunggu was probably covering for them now, lying expertly as if he had not just witnessed a part of his world crumbling apart. Wooseok led him into the woods from there, both of them panting heavily and Yuto letting his lover lead him wherever he might. They stumbled over branches and stones and their own feet, but they kept moving farther and farther away from the palace until Yuto could no longer keep up, falling to his knees on the rough soil below them.

“Yuto,” Wooseok kneeled down beside him, speaking gently through bated breaths. “It’s only a little further away, darling. Come on.”

Yuto forced himself to stand up, then, thankful for his lover’s patience as he felt more tears prickling his eyes. When he looked around at the ground below him as they continued to run, only then did he realize the emptiness in his right hand, burning his skin where his fist was tightened around something only moments ago. Something claws at his heart when the realization hits him: he had lost the last thing that Hyunggu had given him, somewhere in the woods where it might never again be found. Yuto did not even get to take a look at what it was before it was gone, and he supposes that maybe it’s fair. Maybe the world is doing to him exactly what he was doing to everyone else.

He did not register that his sobs were starting to become unbearable, uncontrollable, until Wooseok squeezed his hand tighter and the cold night air felt much too icy, dry and sharp in his lungs. Wooseok was looking back at him with concern every once in a while, worry filling him the farther they ran. It was becoming unbearable for him to see Yuto like this, hurt and so _frightened_ , and Wooseok stopped them both in their tracks before he knew what he was doing. He grabbed onto Yuto’s hand, the prince still panting and crying, and Wooseok knew that he was a fool sometimes but that was _nothing_ compared to the things he would do for Adachi Yuto. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Yuto, I need you to relax.” Wooseok uttered, though he knew he did not sound remotely calm himself. “Keep running until you see the road, alright? Yanan will be there waiting for you. Can you do that for me?”

“Wooseok, no, where are you going?” Yuto begged, frightened by the shakiness of his own voice. “Don’t leave me, Wooseok, please, please, _please_ don’t leave me一”

Wooseok cut him off quickly, pulling him into a deep kiss as he held on tight, trying to take for himself all the worries that tugged on his lover’s heart. “If I am not with you in five minutes, tell Yanan to drive. He will know where to go.”

“Wooseok, _please_ ,” he pleaded.

“Just trust me, my love. Do you trust me?”

Yuto forced himself to nod, summoning every ounce of composure he had left within him. Wooseok only kissed him again hastily before breaking away and running back in the other direction, and Yuto tried not to waste any more time watching him disappear back into the woods. 

Yuto ran. He ran and ran and ran, as fast as he could while pushing past the pain in his legs and the sting in his lungs. The few steps he had left before he reached the road somehow seemed more than endless, his mind lost in a daze and eyes blocked each second with heavy tears. It only offered him little relief to see a vehicle when he reached the road, just as Wooseok promised, a tall, foreign-looking man standing against the door. Yuto locked eyes with who he assumed to be _Yanan_ , and the man wasted no time opening the doors to let both himself and Yuto inside.

“Where’s Wooseok?” Yanan asked loudly as soon as they were inside, over the noise of him starting the vehicle.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, _you don’t know_?”

“I don’t know!” Yuto raised his voice, nearly choking on his sobs as he stuttered out, “h- he said that… that if he was not here in f-five minutes…”

Yanan let out a sharp exhale at that, seemingly trying to calm himself down after realizing the state that Yuto was in. “Okay, okay, I understand, try to relax first. We’ll be fine. Breathe, _Your Highness._ ”

Yuto was thankful for Yanan’s understanding, despite the uneasiness that settled in Yuto’s gut at how he had just been addressed. If he had to guess, he and Yanan might have been the same age, or perhaps have only a few years in between; it would make sense, considering that all he knew of the man was that he was a friend of Wooseok’s, who owed him a great debt. And he was assisting them tonight with something wholly and completely treasonous, so Yuto tried to calm himself for both their sakes, his ragged breathing still betraying all sense in his mind.

Soon enough, Yuto was startled by a soft knock on the door, and he fumbled to open it after seeing Wooseok through the window. The taller man got in swiftly, closing the door shut and sitting beside Yuto, immediately needing to soothe Yuto before anything else.

“Yanan, don’t drive yet一”

“Are you _crazy?_ ”

“Just wait! _Please_ ,” Wooseok yelled, immediately turning to the man beside him, his tone shifting to gentleness in an instant as he took in the sight of Yuto, still sobbing uncontrollably, grasping at air for Wooseok’s touch. “Darling, darling, I need you to look at me. I need you to tell me if you don’t want to do this. If you want to go back, it has to be now. It’s alright, darling. Tell me.”

“I am fine, it’s fine, let us just go, Wooseok...”

“Jung Wooseok, we have to go _now!_ ”

“Yuto, please. Promise me一”

“ _Wooseok!_ ” came Yanan’s frustrated voice, piercing the atmosphere.

“Just drive!” Yuto yelled out, plunging them all into silence, save for the vehicle’s motor as Yanan sprang into motion. “ _J_ _ust drive…"_

Yuto stopped his mumbling to bury his head instead in Wooseok’s chest, letting the taller man rub circles into his back as he tried to muffle his cries. He could hear Wooseok mumbling things to him, and he did not need to know what was said. His sobs subsided with every minute they spent pressed into each other’s sides, uncaring of how bumpy the ride was starting to become. If all went according to plan, it would be a smooth-sailing journey from here, though long and arduous with every neighboring kingdom they would pass, but Yuto could endure it. He knew what he would face when he followed Wooseok from the very beginning, and he was at least strong enough to see it through to the very end. To their very new beginning.

Wooseok took his hand wordlessly when his shoulders were no longer shaking with sobs. Yuto wondered if Wooseok thought him to be asleep, because the next thing he knew, there was a familiar shape of an object being pressed into his palm. Yuto looked up at him instantly, bewilderment and disbelief painting his features while Wooseok bore only a slight smile, and he took the chance to open his palm and take a look at the object inside. A tear slipped onto his cheek when he saw what it was, holding it out in front of him to take in despite the darkness. 

“Wooseok…”

It was a small figurine of a harp, carved from wood and painted skillfully in neutral hues. Yuto can now pair the look of it with how it felt in his palm when they were running away, and it brings a smile to his face despite the tears spilling from his eyes. He felt over the wood as he turned it around in his finger, running a thumb over the arch, where its maker’s initials were carved: _KHG._

“You went back for _this_?” Yuto asked, wondering why Wooseok would risk so much over what he probably thought was such a small, pointless thing.

Wooseok smiled sheepishly back at him, still rubbing circles into Yuto’s back. “I know he means a lot to you. I would not have this taken from you as well.”

Yuto’s heart broke a little at the admittance, wanting so badly to quell all the voices in Wooseok’s mind that told him he was _taking_ anything from him at all. Yuto simply kissed him on the lips for now, passionate and slow一because now, they would have all the time in the world. They would have the moonlight _and_ the daylight, noontime and sunrise and sunset _just for them_. Yuto would show Wooseok just how much he was loved. And it was all because they had fought together, taken a risk on everything in the name of love.

“Yuto一” came a distinct voice suddenly, reminding the two passengers of the vehicle that they were not the only ones present. Yanan cleared his throat before continuing, “一I’m sorry, can I address you by name?”

Yuto chuckled lightly at the question, suddenly realizing just how nice it would finally be, to not to have to hear it all the time. “Of course... I suppose I am no longer a prince, am I?”

Their soft laughter seemed to cut through the thick air inside the vehicle, after so many minutes of sitting in silence. As the tension eased up, so did Yuto’s and Wooseok’s racing hearts, though their hold on each other remained firm and assured. They listened as Yanan went on, his sweet voice suddenly much meeker in contrast to his previous yelling.

“Yuto,” he began, testing the waters. “This will be a long journey, I will not lie to you about that. None of it will be what you are used to, and you may be frightened by all that will change. But we will be here for you一and I know that stupid Jung Wooseok loves you very much. Honestly, Yuto, I never hear the end of it.”

They all chuckled again at the teasing, and Yuto was intrigued to learn more about Wooseok’s friendship with Yanan sometime in the future. He silently thanked their chauffeur for the night for bringing him such reassurance, gaining some semblance of trust despite having met mere minutes ago. Yuto looked to Wooseok, before asking, “Where will we go, Yanan?”

“Our home is a few kingdoms away from here,” he responded. “The journey will be a couple days, but my husband is already preparing a cottage for you on the estate. We will welcome and treat you like family, Yuto一both of you. You will be safe, I hope you can trust in that.”

Yuto nodded his head at the comfort the words gave, feeling content when he saw the same relief on his lover’s face beside him. He cupped Wooseok’s cheek with his free hand, leaning in slowly for a chaste kiss on his lips, and then on his nose, his forehead, right under his eye. Warmth rose up to his lover’s cheeks and Yuto took the opportunity to speak against his lips, letting Wooseok melt into him with a softness he had barely known before. 

“We did it, my love.”

“We did,” Wooseok said lazily, leaning in for another kiss. “We really did.”

Yuto was pulled into an embrace after their exchange, fitting perfectly into Wooseok’s side while his lover kept him safe in his arms. If the display bothered him at all, Yanan did not say a word to disturb them, and Yuto was grateful for the peaceful silence. Only the steady noise of the road moving underneath was there to keep them grounded, and he sighed contentedly as everything around them began to shift into a state of calm. Tiredness was setting into their bones, lulling the pair of them into slumber. Before sleep could take him over, Yuto took one last glance up at the man holding him, his eyes already closed, moonlight framing his every curve perfectly.

“I love you, Wooseok.”

Yuto leaned back into him afterwards, letting his eyelids fall. He was glad to share Wooseok’s warmth, an ear flush to his chest and listening to his lover’s heartbeat. Just as sleep was about to take him, he heard the only thing more comforting than that steady _thump,_ _thump, thump,_ muttered silently into the curls of his hair. It would have been barely audible to anyone else, had they not cared to listen. But Yuto always did. He knew would gladly do so forever.

“I love you, too.”

It was the sweetest thing he had ever heard.

**encore.**

Yuto tried not to seem like he was in such haste, but he could not help it from the moment that Yanan’s husband, Changgu, had put the letter in his hand. Yuto had enough decency to bid him his thanks respectfully, but he no less than ran back into the cottage as soon as the older man was gone.

He went immediately to the fireplace, opening the letter carefully, and taking a deep breath before laying his eyes on the written out words.

_My dearest friend,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I ask that you send my regards to Yanan, as always, for making the journey whenever he can. I know that wherever you reside is likely much further away than I could even imagine, and yet he never fails to come by in the autumn and spring._

_It has been so long, has it not? I have stopped counting the days, but the months and the years still glare at me from time to time. Three years, nearly four, since that evening in the garden. Your family does not wish to grieve for you, still; I do not know what you will make of that, but they continue to long for your return. Your mother, especially. I will not go into the details of who believes you missing or dead, as I know that it would only incite bitterness. I would not wish that upon you; I believe that the burden of these correspondences is already enough._

Yuto laughed slightly at that. Despite how long it had been, he was still the same.

_If you are wondering about me, I am doing well. Your mother treats me like a son, and I am always grateful for it. She finds comfort in me, as I remain, in her eyes, a piece of you. There is not much that I can offer, and I will admit that sometimes it eats me up; I wish to tell her with all conviction that her son is not gone, and that he is happy. I want to tell her that I am proud of you, and that I admire the man that my best friend had chosen to become. But it is because of this admiration that I will let it be enough that I can be happy for you in secret, for I would never in a million years take away your happiness. Heaven knows the lengths that you had gone to for mine._

_Your sister has come back from her kingdom to visit us, bringing with her a new little ray of sunshine. I cannot say much except that he has your eyes, and even your brothers have grown so incredibly fond of him from the moment he had met their eyes. I wish you could be here… these halls miss so dearly the light you used to bring. I hope that you still find yourself able to shine that light wherever you are now._

_I am learning the piano, as of late. Even your father told me that I had a talent for it, and your family often implores me to play sonatas at the evening dinners, in hopes that you will hear the sound and be beckoned back. They have no knowledge that I play the songs not only for you, but for your lover as well, and it is my will that is pushed into the music instead of theirs. And my will is for the both of you to find happiness and peace, and to love each other even beyond the day that we will be able to meet again._

_Speaking of love一the question of it troubles me, lately. The man who comes to teach me piano is the one who inspires this question, foolish as it may seem. He is the lord of a nearby estate, brown curls, doe eyes, pale skin. He should be nothing special, but he so stubbornly borders ‘beautiful’ in my eyes, and it irks me. His hands fascinate me the most, Yu, he plays his instrument so well and so expertly with fingers so small and not at all calloused, and I feel quite taken with him whenever he takes my hand into his own. Is this what you felt with your beau? Is love supposed to make one as jittery and clumsy and illogical as I feel it is making me?_

_I have so many questions. I miss all the days when we could sit in the gardens, and I could talk about anything and everything with you. You would always know what to say. It frustrates me sometimes that you cannot write me back一it is only to keep us both safe, I know. I can only hope that every time you throw a letter into the fire, you wait just long enough for all my words to be burned somewhere into your mind. I am sorry for any slips of the hand in this letter... as long as it has been, I am still getting used to omitting your name. It hurts me, having to only utter it in silence. I miss you… I miss my best friend, so badly._

_But after all, we are strong. And we are nothing if not for the sacrifices we have made to set each other free._

_I am already looking forward to the next season in which I can bring you my humble words. It comforts me very much that I have been allowed even just this, and I hope that it is the same for you, too._

_You will always have me, my dearest friend. Please remember that._

_Yours, with all my affection,_

_KHG_

“Yuto~!”

Yuto swiped a tear away after reading the letter, Wooseok’s call for him coming right after he read the last line.

“What is it, my love?” Yuto called back, sniffling.

“I made us some dinner. Whenever you’re ready, darling,” was Wooseok’s prompt response, seemingly coming from their small backyard.

Yuto wiped his tears away before he could go to his lover, taking the time, as Hyunggu said, to read over the letter once more and burn all the words into the back of his mind. He smiled at the joy he was told of, and took some moments of silence for the sorrow. He kept every word locked safe in his heart for until the time he could get a hold of the next, cherishing the pieces of his roots he had decided to hold onto.

“I miss you, too, angel,” Yuto muttered, placing a reverent kiss on the letter before tossing into the fireplace, words in black ink now sheltered safely in his heart.

Wooseok greeted him with a kiss and a _hey there, darling,_ as he walked out, sitting next to him on a blanket on the grass of their garden. The sadness on Yuto’s face was soon replaced by contentment as he and Wooseok watched the sunset together, eating and laughing as the sky pulled itself into nighttime. It was enough for them to know, after all they had been through, that there would be many more sunsets and nights for them like this. That when all was said and done一past the taste of cherry wine and midnight and each other on their lips一they would only need to open their eyes when daylight came, and they would know that they have each other.

**Author's Note:**

> AAAAAA FINALLY IT'S DONE,,, i did not realize it would be this long but i hope you enjoyed the ride if you actually made it this far T-T
> 
> leave me a comment or yell at me on twt (@violetholdsme) if you want to yell !! ^_^


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